Scenes that didn't make the final script
by NoviceWordsmith
Summary: Some possibly reasonable reactions to scenes in the first Percy Jackson movie.


Scenes that didn't make it into the final script for  
"Percy Jackson & The Olympians; The Lightning Thief"

"I have to go and rescue my Mom."

Chiron's stern gaze held Percy's eyes for a full minute. The noise of the camp died down as the others cleaned up the mess and left the area. Finally he spoke. "What will you do?"

"I'll go to Hades and tell him the truth. When he finds out I don't have the Lightning Bolt, he'll let Mom go."

"What do you know about Hades?'

Percy shrugged. "He's king of the underworld."

After a slight pause, Chiron said, "What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? What has been his past behavior when dealing with humans or gods or demigods?"

Percy shook his head impatiently. "I don't know…"

"Can you control water?" interrupted Chiron. "Or Air? Or Earth? Or, more to the point, Fire?"

"What?" asked Percy in surprise. "Control them?"

"You have had one day's experience in fighting," mused Chiron, leaning on his cane. "You have an opponent and you don't know how he thinks or how he responds, you don't know your own strengths or powers – and you're going to run off to challenge him while every monster in this hemisphere is after you. Well," he said mildly, "Good luck."

"You think I can't do it," said Percy belligerently.

"Do you _care_ what I think?" responded Chiron, glowering down at the teenager standing before him.

"I…" Percy gave in a little. "I do care. But… but I've got to rescue my Mom!"

"Were you able to save her before you came here?"

Anger and shame blazed on Percy's cheeks. "I… I… Look, that's a rotten thing to say!"

"You were _not_ able to save her," said the centaur implacably. "If anything, your anger made her life more difficult. Grow up, Perseus! Recognize the truth and learn from it!"

"Well, what should I do, then? Just sit here while my Mom is a prisoner?"

Chiron put his arms on his cane, rested his chin on his crossed arms, and looked at Percy. After a few moments he said, "You might find some information about Hades in the library. _Some_ people think it's a good idea to learn about your opponent before confronting him. You might try to find out what powers you have: there are teachers here who can help you do that. You might think for more than two minutes and try to come up with an actual plan for rescuing your mother, perhaps even with some contingencies." His eyes bored into Percy, who dropped his gaze before his master. Then Chiron straightened up. "But since it's unlikely you'll take any of those suggestions, I recommend you take along someone who knows more than you do… and that you _listen_ to them." With that Chiron turned and walked away.

"Wait!" shouted Percy as he and Annabeth raced around the corner. They both stopped; awestruck by the view before them. Twelve mighty colossi sat in a semi-circle, enthroned with palpable majesty. Their attention and gaze shifted to the two teens. "My name is Percy Jackson, and I think you're looking for this." He held up the lightning bolt which sizzled with power.

Zeus slowly rose like a thundercloud. "So, you decided to return what you stole. Very wise of you, lightning thief."

Percy whipped the bolt behind his back. "I did _not_ steal the lightning bolt!" he called, "and I resent being called a thief! Who started this rumor about me? Who!?"

Athena cleared her throat. "Well, you are the only… current… son of one of the Three."

Annabeth stepped forward, tall with chin held high. "I had no idea that thievery was such a family trait, daughter of Zeus."

"She only meant that considerable power is needed to achieve such a theft," Hermes said quickly.

"You do happen to have the lightning bolt," said Zeus darkly. "I didn't leave it lying about the entrance."

"I didn't steal the lightning bolt; I found it where it was hidden by the thief."

"And who was the thief if it wasn't you?" rumbled Zeus, striding forward.

Percy angrily held up the Lightning Bolt, then rammed its end at the floor near his feet. Thunder exploded and the thrones of the gods shook. Zeus stopped, and the aura of majesty surrounding the gods took on a slight aspect of shock.

Percy looked at Hermes. "You said it would take considerable power to steal this weapon. Well, give yourself a pat on the back: your son was the thief."

Hermes stammered as attention swung around to him. "My… son?"

"Yes, your son. You do have one, in case you didn't know. His name is Luke. From his own mouth I heard it," said Percy, "and you might have heard it too, if you had been listening just now instead of bickering like a bunch of _mortals_. Didn't you even notice there was a battle going on down there, with your very own lightning bolt?"

Volcanic silence gripped the Circle of Power. Finally Poseidon rumbled one tightly controlled word: "Why?"

"He said he wanted to start a war between you so you would destroy each other. Then we, the younger generation, could take over."

Annabeth spoke up. "You know, that sounds familiar. Don't you think so, Zeus? Poseidon? Hades? I guess what goes around really does come around."

"No doubt he thought it was a fitting response to the wonderful parenting you've given us all."

Poseidon stepped forward. "Now, Percy, I know it was hard for you, but I did what had to be done…"

Lightning blazed from the bolt, striking Poseidon on the shoulder. He was knocked backward, and stumbled to the ground. "You forced my mother to live like a _slave_!" shouted Percy. "A slave to a jerk so disgusting that his only friends were pond scum and pigeon shit! And why did she do it? To protect me! And why did she have to protect me? BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T BE BOTHERED!"

"Percy!" Annabeth touched his shoulder. "Calm down. You're right, but calm down."

"I didn't want to leave you," shouted Poseidon. " _He_ forced me to leave. It was his fault, your all-powerful uncle Zeus!"

"You were neglecting your duties," roared Zeus. Another thunderous earthquake interrupted him. He spun around toward Percy, shouting "Stop that!"

Percy gripped the Lightning Bolt in both hands and rammed it into the floor. The ground shook so hard that everybody except Percy was knocked to the ground. He only remained standing because he was holding onto the bolt. "So," he said, "Abandoning us was your idea? This is the way you run a world?"

Zeus spoke slowly and angrily. "When a god gets so involved in a family that he neglects his duty, then yes: that's how I run a world."

Teenage sarcasm dripped from Percy's mouth. "Job before family, huh? Absent father is off doing important things while single mothers struggle to survive and raise the kids. And I thought we Americans thought that up."

"So you mean you can't be bothered to raise your own children, but it's OK to have kids anyway, right?" Annabeth blazed beside Percy. "Do you know _anything_ about child development, about family psychology, about _role models_? I'm beginning to think that Luke was right."

The aura was definitely lacking in majesty at the moment. Poseidon looked over at the two. "What are you going to do with the Lightning Bolt, Percy?"

Percy looked at the weapon in his hand. "If I could, I'd destroy it, but I know I don't have the ability to do that. If it doesn't get returned, you guys will probably start some stupid war that'll wreck the planet." He took a deep breath, then said, "Here." He tossed the Lightning Bolt onto the floor where it rolled over to Zeus. Percy turned his back on the Circle of Power and said to Annabeth, "I'm ready to leave now, but if you want to stay, I'll wait."


End file.
